John Brock: If we are “what we eat” what must our misled leaders be eating?

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

They say, “We are what we eat.”

If this is true, we must ponder what constitutes the daily diet of most of our so-called “Leadership” in Washington. A recent scientific analysis of the water around our national capitol may provide a clue.

It now comes to light that we may not be just what we eat but what we drink as well. The liquid intake becomes attached to members of Congress because scientists have found chemical impurities in the Potomac River that transforms male fish into girly fish.

A study several years ago declared that samples taken at eight sites along the Potomac River reveal the blood plasma from fish indicated an increase in “Intersex” fish — described as male fish that produce immature eggs. It seems the impurities in the water stimulate estrogen production in males thereby transforming them into sissy fish.

Could this Capitol water source also be affecting members of Congress and the bureaucrats in charge of our lives? Does the water affect women leaders as well as men?

If so, I suspect those drinking the Washington water are those CongressPEOPLE clamoring to raise their skirts and run away from solving the myriad of problems that Americans contend with every day. I think they call it “kicking the can down the road.” Does estrogen cause procrastination? — “Not tonight, honey, I have a headache.” I’m not sure. Ask your CongressPERSON.

We can safely assume that the courageous members who do aspire to immediately addressing this nation’s problems and leading the fight against wimpy thinking are those members of Congress who drink only bottled water — from Southern natural springs, of course.

MY OWN DIET

I can’t control what food and drink is ingested in our nation’s capital but I do have control over my own diet although some readers seem to believe that I import Potomac Water.

We are bombarded daily about what is the healthy diet that we must follow in order to reach Methuselah-like longevity. It keeps changing. A healthy diet appears to be a moving target.

Frankly, I’m not taking any chances. I decided to cram everything that experts recommend into my own version of a healthy diet. I cannot track every single recommendation throughout the day, so I include every healthy food into breakfast. Here’s the Brock Breakfast:

First, I drink a twelve-ounce glass of water. The experts claim morning hydration is extremely important because of over-night dehydration. I can attest to this nightly dehydration at 2 a.m. and again about 4:30 a.m. almost every night. They say a large morning glass of water can replenish the body and raise one’s IQ as much as three or four points. And, goodness knows, I need all the help I can get in that direction so sometimes I drink two glasses of water. I figure if I drank four or five my IQ might be raised to near genius level. I may become smart but I would be up all night long.

Next, I drink a glass of red grape juice. It’s really purple but they call it red. Many years ago, scientists came forth with the idea that red wine with its host of antioxidants reduces all sorts of health risks — especially those of the heart. Since I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, I didn’t want to start for the sake of my health, so, I reasoned that it must be the red grapes in the wine that did the trick. I was right because later these same scientists declared that red grape juice would do the same thing. Makes sense that it wasn’t the alcohol because no one has ever declared that a glass or two of gin in the morning is a healthy practice.

After the grape juice, I continue with an oats-based cereal (lowers cholesterol) as my building block. For a Southerner who lived most of his life with lard as the base of the food pyramid, this was quite a challenge.

To the oats-based cereal, I add three spoonsful of uncooked oatmeal straight from the Quaker Oats box. I sprinkle this over the commercial cereal just to ensure that I get a vigorous dose of oats.

Next, I add one-half of a sliced banana — called by many the “perfect” food. Then, a handful of walnuts (for the brain, etc.) is added along with another handful of blueberries — heavy in antioxidants for the heart and cells. (During off-season, they are available now in dried form much like raisins but are rather expensive.)

To this, I add a spoonful of wheat germ (folic acid — good for a number of things even when you are not pregnant).

Then I top it all off with a healthy sprinkling of powered cinnamon. For the life of me, I can’t recall what cinnamon is supposed to be good for but I read somewhere that a sprinkle or two a day will ensure that you live a longer healthy life.

Broccoli for breakfast? Well, that will have to wait until another day.

Is all of this going to prolong my life? Only the Good Lord knows.

I’ll have to get back to you on that one. In the meantime keep a close eye on the obituaries.

John Brock is retired and lives in Georgetown County. He can be reached by mail at his newspaper of by Email: brock@johnbrock.com.

Opinions that appear on this page in Letters to the Editor or in columns do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.

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